Apparatus for dispensing photographic chemicals

ABSTRACT

A device for dispensing liquid photographic chemicals, in which a plurality of containers are disposed in a circle, each container having an outlet leading downwardly into a covered frustro-conical bowl disposed below the containers, the bowl having a central outlet conduit. Valve means control the flow individually from each container into the bowl. Valve controlled ducts also lead into the bowl for connection with a source of pressurized liquid such as rinse water.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,765,576 Ramsdale Oct. 16, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING 1,205,494 11/1916 Watts 222/145 PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMICALS 3,133,675 5/ 1964 Broadhurst 3,385,569 5/1968 Bookat 222/129.4 [76] Inventor: Roy Ramsdale, 78 Munro Blvd., wmowdale Omano Canada Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves [22] Filed: Apr. 10, 1972 Assistant Examiner-Thomas E. Kocovsky 1 pp No I 242 358 AttorneyLewis E. Hanley et a1.

ABSTRACT IIIIIIIIIII 222/132 222/146 A device for dispensing liquid photographic chemi- 58] Fieid 132 1 4 4 cals, in which a plurality of containers are disposed in 'l' 'l C 1 a circle, each container having an outlet leading downwardly into a covered frustro-conical bowl disposed below the containers, the bowl having a central- [56] References Cited outlet conduit. Valve means control the flow individu- UNITED STATES PATENTS ally from each container into the bowl. Valve con- 2,653,733 9/1953 Rudd 222/ trolled ducts also lead into the bowl for connection 2 g' i with a source of pressurized liquid such as rinse water. ige ow 3,143,167 8/1964 Vieth /44 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMICALS The present invention relates to the dispensing of liq- U'K: chemicals for the processing of photographic matella S.

t In the commerical processing of photographic material larger amounts of chemicals are used to handle the material in batches. Usually tanks are used for this purpose and the chemicals are introduced into the tank in measured quantities and in sequence. To have the chemicals at hand they may be retained in a row of containers and released into the processing tank as required. A problem arises from this arrangement because the timing of delivery of the chemicals is critical and delivery from a row varies with respect to the location of the containers in relation to the processing tank. If a common delivery trough is used there is also the problem of cleansing after delivery of each chemical to prevent contamination.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for delivering chemicals to a photographic processing tank.

An example embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for dispensing photographic chemicals;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing the container nest and collector outlet of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container well of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a circuit for the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The example device shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings consists of a housing containing in its upper portion a well 12 of containers for liquid chemicals, a collector 14 located below the well of containers, an outlet conduit 16 leading from the housing, and a control panel 18 located below the containers and the collector. The I front face of housing 10 has a pair of doors 20 giving access to collector l4 and the lower portion of well 12, and retractable steps 24 giving assistance to each the top of the housing which has an opening 26 providing access to well 12. Opening 26 is closed by a removable lid 28 which has an opening 30 and is rotatable to locate the opening over any single container.

As seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, container well 12 comprises a circular wall 32 and a bottom 34 forming a liquid retaining well which is. segmented by dividers 36 radiating from an axial pillar 38 to form a plurality of numbered containers 40. Adjacent bottom 34, each container 40 has a looped'cooling pipe 42 and a looped heating element 44. Pipes 42 are interconnected in series with a common inlet 46 from a pressurized water source (not shown), and a common outlet 48 leading to a drain (not shown). Heating elements 44 are connected with an electrical power source through a control circuit to be described with reference to FIG. 5. A temperature-probe 49 is located in one of containers 40 and is also connected with the control circuit. A vertical pipe 50 leads downwardly from each container 40 through an outlet opening 52 in the bottom of well 32. A solenoid valve 54 is located in each pipe 50.

The bottom end of each pipe 50 opens into collector 18 which comprises a shallow frsutro-conical bowl 56 having an outer rim 57 and a flat, stepped cover 58 removable in its central portion 59 which has openings 60 from pipes 50 located in a circle about the vertical axis of the bowl. An opening 64 in the centre of bowl 56 is connected with outlet conduit 16. An inlet pipe 66 from a pressurized water source is connected to a solenoid valve 68 and then branches to connect (a) by a pipe 70 with a spray nozzle 72 mounted centrally on the inside of cover 58 of bowl 56, (b) by pipes 74 with a pair of inlets 76 in bowl 56 adjacent rim 57, and (c) by a pipe 78 with a elbow 79 outlet conduit 16 adjacent opening 64 of bowl 56. A plurality of fixed, shallow baffles 80 are located on the inner surface of bowl 56 and radiate from opening 64.

As seen schematically in FIG. 5 of the drawings, each heater element 44 is connected across a line 82 which is connected with a power source 84. A normally open contact switch 86 is connected in series with each heater 44. Temperature probe 49, which may be a thermostatic relay as shown in FIG. 5, is suitably connected in series in line 82 between switches 86 and power source 84, and a variable resistor 92 is connected in series in line 82 between probe 49 and power source 84. Each solenoid valve 54, and solenoid valve 68, is connected across a line 88 which is connected with power source 84. A normally open contact switch 90 is connected in series with each solenoid valve 54, 69. Contact switches 86 and 90 are suitably mounted on control panel 18 of housing 10.

In the operation of the device a given number of different liquid chemicals in specific quantities, for use in a specific processing operation to be carried out in an adjacent tank (not shown), are charged into unit 10, each chemical being charged into a different container 40 through opening 30 in lid 28 which is rotated to provide access to only one container at a time. The chemicals in containers 40 (some or all of which may have been charged) are then heated by elements 44 to a given temperature using thermostatic probe 49 and variable resistor 92 and the temperature is maintained substantially constant by means of the flow of water through cooling pipes 42. Each container 40 may be heated separately by closing its associated contact switch 86.

Each solenoid valve 54 is operated by its associated contact switch 90 to release the chemicals from containers 40 in a given sequence and at a predetermined time interval through outlets 52 and vertical pipes 50 into collector bowl 56, where the chemical flows through outlet 64 and conduit 16 to the processing tank. After each chemical has passed through conduit 16 and that particular processing step has been carried outin the tank solenoid valve 68 is operated by its associated contact switch 90 to flow rinse water through bowl 56 and conduit 16 to the tank. Water spraying through nozzle 72 into bowl 56 and flowing tangentially into the bowl through openings 76 effectively decontaminates the bowl for the next chemical and also provides rinse water for the tank. Baffles 80 prevent the buildup of a vortex by the inflowing rinse water.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing liquid photographic chemicals, comprising:

a plurality of containers disposed in a'circle, each container defining a well having (a) an outlet conduit opening from the bottom portion thereof, (b) a cooling conduit disposed in the bottom portion thereof, and (c) heating means disposed in the bottom portion thereof;

a frusto-conical bowl disposed below the containers, said bowl having upstanding radial baffles therein and a cover, the outlet conduits extending downwardly from the containers and opening into the bowl through the cover thereof for the passage of the liquid photographic chemicals from the containers into the bowl;

valve means in each of the outlet conduits for controlling the flow of liquid from each of the containers into the bowl;

outlet means leading centrally from the bottom of the bowl; and

conduit means opening into the bowl for the passage of cleansing liquid into the bowl.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which a circular well is segmented to form the containers.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the well carries a cover having an opening therethrough, the well cover being rotatable to provide access to only one container at a time.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each heating means comprises an electrical heating coil, and means to connect each coil individually with an electrical power source.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including thermostatic probe means located in at least one of the containers and connected to regulate the heating means.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the passage means opening into the bowl comprises at least one duct opening substantially tangentially into the peripheral portion of the bowl and spray means centrally located in the bowl adjacent the cover thereof.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means opening into the bowl outlet means for the passage of liquid thereinto.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the cover is separable from the bowl and from the outlet conduits of the containers. 

1. Apparatus for dispensing liquid photographic chemicals, comprising: a plurality of containers disposed in a circle, each container defining a well having (a) an outlet conduit opening from the bottom portion thereof, (b) a cooling conduit disposed in the bottom portion thereof, and (c) heating means disposed in the bottom portion thereof; a frusto-conical bowl disposed below the containers, said bowl having upstanding radial baffles therein and a cover, the outlet conduits extendiNg downwardly from the containers and opening into the bowl through the cover thereof for the passage of the liquid photographic chemicals from the containers into the bowl; valve means in each of the outlet conduits for controlling the flow of liquid from each of the containers into the bowl; outlet means leading centrally from the bottom of the bowl; and conduit means opening into the bowl for the passage of cleansing liquid into the bowl.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which a circular well is segmented to form the containers.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the well carries a cover having an opening therethrough, the well cover being rotatable to provide access to only one container at a time.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which each heating means comprises an electrical heating coil, and means to connect each coil individually with an electrical power source.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including thermostatic probe means located in at least one of the containers and connected to regulate the heating means.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the passage means opening into the bowl comprises at least one duct opening substantially tangentially into the peripheral portion of the bowl and spray means centrally located in the bowl adjacent the cover thereof.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means opening into the bowl outlet means for the passage of liquid thereinto.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the cover is separable from the bowl and from the outlet conduits of the containers. 